The title of
this novel—as well as that cover—intrigued me. After reading the novel, I don’t
see the connection between these two things and the novel itself, and I feel
like I’m missing something important.
Do you ever
feel that way about a cover and/or title? It seems there’s no cohesion between
them? That is what happened for me with this book; however, as a whole I
enjoyed the storytelling element.
Title:
‘Sometimes Never, Sometimes Always’
Author: Elissa Janine Hoole
Pages: 349
Publisher: Flux
Available: NOW
Source: requested from Netgalley
Cassandra
fears rocking the family boat. Instead, she sinks it. Assigned by her English
teacher to write a poem that reveals her true self, Cassandra Randall is stuck.
Her family's religion is so overbearing, she can NEVER write about who she
truly is. So Cass does what any self-respecting high school girl would do: she
secretly begins writing a tarot-inspired advice blog. When Drew Godfrey, an
awkward outcast with unwashed hair, writes to her, the situation spirals into
what the school calls "a cyberbullying crisis" and what the church
calls "sorcery." Cass wants to be the kind of person who sticks up
for the persecuted, who protects the victims the way she tries to protect her
brother from the homophobes in her church. But what if she's just another
bully? What will it take for her to step up and tell the truth?
My
Thoughts:
Hoole really
jammed a lot into the 349 pages, almost too much for me to keep up with by
novel’s end. The storytelling of this novel felt personal, as if Hoole herself has lived this life, or knows someone who has.
Cassandra has
been raised in a conservative household, one that begins each morning with a
prayer circle before the kids head off to school. There is just one problem:
Cass is no longer a believer. She hasn’t been for some time, but she keeps up
the façade for her parents’ sake.
A single gift
changes everything: a $20 bill given to her by her brother. She finds herself
in unknown territory, the mall, and a bookstore. She walks in with no
expectation but walks out with a tarot deck. Her curiosity is peaked. She lives
in a conservative household and is a member of the most conservative church in
her area. This is absolute blasphemy. But she takes out the deck, and her life
changes instantly.
And not
necessarily for the good. She finds herself in sticky situations that she would
usually not be in—and she finds herself being overly secretive and lying to her
parents. This is pretty normal teenage behavior, but not in a household like
Cass’.
Once Cass
starts a blog posing as a fortune teller, her whole life seems to spiral out of
control into a mess of cyber-bullying and a deteriorating friendship. But if
that is not enough, add in a strained parental relationship, a gay brother
trying to figure out his life, and first “love” for Cass.
I felt the
author gave readers too much to juggle in this novel. There were too many other
stories to tell, not just Cass, and she really should have been the focus.
With that said,
I do think this novel is worth reading. Hoole really deals with several teen
issues, but the most important one is being true to one’s self. We see a
glimpse of that message through Cass’ English teacher, a man who just wants her
to write a poem celebrating herself—something she cannot seem to do.
This is where
Cass’ woes come into play, and the novel is about her self-discovery. But the
sprinkling of too many other elements made it hard for me to focus on just her
and her self-discovery.
I would’ve
enjoyed the novel more if the focus had been kept on her struggle with her
family and her faith. I felt I wasn’t ever able to connect with Cass because
she was all over the place in her life, and I know this is a truth with teens today,
but I like my realistic fiction novels more focused in plot.
If you’ve
read Melissa Walker’s ‘Small Town Sinners’ and enjoyed it, you will enjoy this.
If you read this novel and enjoyed it but have not read Walker’s tale, you
should.
What’s
the most interesting realistic novel you’ve read lately?
Comment
below and let’s talk about books.
Happy
Reading!
- The Hodgenator